


Do I make your heart beat like an 808 drum?

by hotwheels_kin



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, Fluff, Girls' Night, No Smut, mondo and taka make a minor appearance too, sakura also unlearns some internalized m!sogyny, sakura bench presses aoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28624863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotwheels_kin/pseuds/hotwheels_kin
Summary: While working out with her best friend, Aoi realizes she might see Sakura as more than just a best friend...
Relationships: Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43





	Do I make your heart beat like an 808 drum?

**Author's Note:**

> fic title lyrics from Your Love Is My Drug by Ke$ha because I never left 2010 apparently :)

“Ninety-eight… Ninety… nine… A hundred!” Aoi whispered the numbers to herself as she finished her last pushups, then collapsed on the floor of the gym. She had a habit of counting out loud, lest she forget where she was and have to start all over. It was noon on a Saturday, the one day a week she and Sakura let themselves sleep in and started their workouts a couple hours later than normal. They were just about done with their morning sets, and Aoi was ready for it to be over so she could grab something to eat.

Standing up to stretch, Aoi wandered over to where Sakura was getting ready to do one last set of bench presses. “Want me to spot you?” Aoi asked. She wasn’t super worried about Sakura hurting herself or anything because she was lifting well below her max, but it was still good safety protocol to always have a spotter. 

“Yes, thank you.” Sakura smiled briefly up at her, quickly tying her hair up and rubbing some chalk onto her palms. Aoi skipped into position, hovering her hands just below the bar. Lowering the bar at this weight was easy for Sakura, her breathing steady and even. Aoi should’ve asked how many reps Sakura was planning to do before she started, but without counting out loud, she probably would’ve lost count anyway, because Sakura just kept on going and going. The reps began to slow down, and Aoi could then sense that the Ultimate Martial Artist was almost done.

Aoi guided the bar back to the rack, and Sakura let out a big sigh. Aoi never stopped being impressed by the strength of her best friend, but she was even more impressed by Sakura’s determination to always keep improving. Sneaking a glance at the amount of weight on the bar, Aoi gasped aloud. “Ooh! Sakura, that’s more than I weigh!”

Sakura sat up and wiped her forehead with a towel, a subtle smile on her face. “Yes. My maximum is well over seven hundred pounds. This was a cool down set.” She said it so casually, but Aoi was still a little awestruck.

“I can’t believe you can bench press me as a cool down set!” Aoi laughed and handed her friend a water bottle. “Swimming is more about endurance, so I rarely bench press anything more than the bar.” 

“I have bench pressed a person before. I have a few reps left in me if you wish to try.” Sakura chuckled and Aoi wasn’t sure if she was being serious at first.

“Really? Oh my gosh, yes!” Aoi giggled with excitement. It was a little ridiculous, but she did really want to be bench pressed by Sakura. 

With a nod, Sakura laid back down on the bench and put some more chalk on her hands. “I apologize if I get chalk on your clothes.” She looked up at her hands, now a ghostly white.

“Oh, it’ll be worth it!” Aoi waved her off, then approached the bench. “Where should I… Oh!” She was trying to figure out where and how to stand, but Sakura just lifted her off her feet effortlessly. Suddenly, she was holding a kind of side plank position, with Sakura’s hands supporting her on her ribcage and thigh. Aoi did her best to hold in her joyous laughter so she wouldn’t be shaking all over the place as Sakura lowered and raised her body, but she just couldn’t stop herself. 

As Sakura easily completed the first rep, Mondo and Kiyotaka strode into the gym, arguing about the best flavor of soda or something similarly trivial. “Hey, boys!” Aoi called out to them and waved, and they stopped their bickering instantly. Aoi revelled in their amazement. “Sakura, this is so cool!” She smiled down at Sakura, who could barely smile through the effort, but Aoi could see she was trying to in those silvery eyes. 

The boys were still watching the little scene as Aoi struck a couple poses, feeling like she was floating on clouds. After a few more reps, Sakura set her back down gently, letting her feet find the floor before completely letting go. Sakura sat up, and Aoi gave her a big hug, thanking her. Sure roller coasters were fast and fun, but being bench pressed by Sakura was way cooler. She was pretty sure Mondo couldn’t bench press his boyfriend as many times as Sakura had bench pressed Aoi!

That thought stopped Aoi for a moment and she felt embarrassed, having compared her and Sakura to Mondo and Taka’s relationship. Aoi always knew she liked girls, and on the first day of school at Hope’s Peak she remembered thinking that Sakura was… quite attractive. But they had become fast friends, and Aoi hadn’t really thought about Sakura in that way since. But looking at the Ultimate Martial Artist right now, fresh from bench pressing Aoi, a humorous twinkle in her eyes, biceps glistening, her hair pulled back in a messy bun… Aoi was starting to see her in a new light, to say the least.

“Hina, are you ready to get something to eat?” Sakura asked plainly, completely ignorant to how hot she looked, and thankfully ignorant to the heat in Aoi’s cheeks which could be written off as a result of strenuous exercise. 

“Yeah, of course!” Aoi jumped up, eager to put food in her body. “See ya later, boys.” She waved to a still dumbstruck Mondo and Taka as she and Sakura exited the gym and headed for the cafeteria. 

The school was quiet for once, with only a couple other students there on the weekend. The two girls walked to the caf in silence, but they were close enough that it wasn’t an awkward silence. They were both just letting their bodies have a minute to recover after such a workout.

As they rounded the corner and entered the caf, Sakura checked her watch. “Ah, just in time. Eating protein within twenty minutes of strenuous physical exercise promotes muscle growth.”

“Protein? All I really want right now is some carbs. Some french fries, a waffle, a donut…” Aoi was salivating just thinking about it. They had arrived a few minutes after noon, so the caf staff were just starting to put away breakfast options. “Come on, before they put away the donuts!” Aoi scurried over to the buffet, then snatched up the tongs and picked out the prettiest sprinkle donut. She looked back at Sakura, who had headed to the smoothie booth and was quietly ordering protein shakes. Aoi decided to take another donut for Sakura, and if she didn’t want it, Aoi could just eat it anyways. 

The swimmer added some assorted fruits to her plate before meeting up with Sakura. She thanked Sakura for getting her a protein shake, then offered her a donut and some fruit. “I will eat some fruit, but I will pass on the donut, though it is quite beautifully decorated.” She studied the rainbow sprinkles on the donut, and Aoi could sense she secretly wanted to eat it.

“Come on, Sakura. One donut every once in a while isn’t going to kill you, I promise! I have firsthand experience.” Aoi giggled, taking a bite of her donut, savoring the soft, doughy texture and the perfectly proportional amount of frosting. She hummed as she ate it, almost as if she were in a commercial trying to sell these donuts, hoping she’d encourage Sakura to try one.

It appeared that her little ad campaign had worked. Sakura blinked a few times, probably calculating calories. “I suppose, just this once.” She picked up the donut almost gingerly, taking a small bite. Pleasantly surprised by the taste, Sakura’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Aren’t they heavenly?” Aoi licked a little bit of frosting off her finger. Sakura was already taking another bite, so she knew she had converted her friend. 

“The word ‘heavenly’ indeed does justice to this donut.” Sakura gave one of her rare, extremely genuine smiles, and it warmed Aoi’s whole heart. As she took a sip of her protein shake, she wondered how long she’d had just a little bit of a crush on Sakura without even knowing it. 

*******************************************************************************

It was against school rules to have sleepovers in the dorms, but it hadn’t stopped most students from sneaking friends over after the ten o’clock curfew. It wasn’t like Mr. Hall Monitor Kiyotaka could open everyone’s doors and make sure they were in their own beds every night, and when a rule was impossible to enforce, it was almost like it didn’t exist. Sayaka had thrown a big girls’ night once, but they all snuck back to their rooms around one in the morning, worried it would be too suspicious if six girls emerged from the room in the morning. 

Plenty of other sleepovers had been successful in escaping detection though, so Aoi shouldn’t have been so nervous then when she invited Sakura to have a little sleepover. What really got to her was Sakura’s admission that she’d never had a real sleepover. Aoi couldn’t quite believe it! She knew her friend had a unique childhood, fighting MMA pros and wrestlers all day, training to be the best, but really, not one sleepover? It almost made Aoi sad, so she was determined to set up the ultimate sleepover tonight. 

She had compiled many lists so she wouldn’t forget anything: nail painting, chick flicks (which became a separate list of her favorites), hair braiding, makeovers, gossiping, a pillow fight, a scavenger hunt, a dance party, Never Have I Ever… Her list was impossibly long for one night, but Aoi decided that this was going to be the first of many girls’ nights. 

A knock on her door made Aoi jump up with excitement. She threw open the door with a big smile. Sakura looked a little surprised at the speed at which the door opened, but she recovered quickly, smiling down at the swimmer. “Come on in!” Aoi gestured, and Sakura nodded and entered. “I’ve made a list of things we just have to do.” Aoi picked up the wrinkled piece of paper that she had written on in pink sparkly pen, handing it to Sakura.

Sakura squinted at the list, reading it over. “I apologize, but I have never done many of these things.” She looked kind of embarrassed or ashamed, and Aoi’s face fell. She hadn’t meant to make Sakura feel bad about anything. She only wanted to make up for lost sleepover time.

“Well, that’s okay! We’re going to try them now, together!” Aoi tried to keep the mood cheerful. She dug around under her bed, searching for her bag of nail polish. Once she found it, she sat down on the rug in the middle of her room, patting the spot next to her for Sakura to join.

“My father thought many of these activities were… not appropriate for me.” Sakura sat down slowly, the list still in her hand. “He was more interested in teaching me about health foods and proper deadlifting technique. Actually, he recently showed me an article about the mechanics of the Valsalva maneuver, and why it produces a bluish hue in the faces of weightlifters. Because of the compression of the vena cava when the abdominal muscles are tensed, the maneuver lessens blood flow back to the heart…” Sakura trailed off. “I am sorry. I am rattling on.”

“No, it’s okay!” Aoi reassured her. “I like when you talk about the science of sports and stuff! I learn more from you than I do from any of my classes.” Aoi elbowed her gently, and a smile returned to Sakura’s face. “But seriously, painting nails is for anyone who wants to. Doesn’t matter who you are or what you do.” Aoi started shaking up the various colors of nail polish, eying a sparkly red that matched her favorite jacket. 

Sakura still looked a little unsure, and a little intimidated by the array of colors before her. “Have you not found that people do not take you as seriously with bright colored nail polish?” Sakura asked, almost sheepishly. 

Aoi opened her mouth to speak, but stopped for a moment to formulate her words. Sure, boys had judged her for being girly sometimes. But boys also judged her for wearing shorts instead of skirts. It seemed like nothing she did could fit the perfect little box men wanted girls to fit in. But screw that box anyway!

“You know, maybe people do look at me differently when my nails are painted. But I figure that’s their problem.” Aoi shrugged, twisting open the cap to the sparkly red. “I used to think if I wanted to beat the boys, I had to be just like them. But that's like, just letting them win! It's like admitting being like a boy is better. Does that even make sense?” Now Aoi was the one rambling, except she was definitely no expert in this area. “You don’t have to paint your nails if you don’t want to, Sakura. But don’t let stupid boys make that decision for you.” 

Sakura slowly stretched her fingers, looking at her short, plain nails, nails that had never had paint on them ever, nails that normally were bluish or purple with bruises instead of polish, nails that she never paid much attention to before tonight. Then, she looked up at Aoi, a tenderness in her eyes that made Aoi’s breath catch in her throat. “I think… I think you are right, Aoi. And I think I would like to paint them.” Sakura whispered.

Still recovering from the look in Sakura’s eyes, Aoi blinked a few times, then gestured towards her nail polish collection. “O-okay. Which color do you want?” 

Sakura reached for a lavender. “I like this one.” Her voice was very soft, and Aoi wondered if her typically gruff voice was something of an act. Not that Aoi didn’t love her voice as it was, but when she spoke quietly like this, it was cute. _Here I go again…_ Aoi thought to herself. How funny it was to her to hear her own thoughts about how pretty, how smart, how gentle Sakura was, now that she realized she did in fact have a crush on the Ultimate Martial Artist. The phrase _useless lesbian_ came to mind. 

Aoi took the lavender polish from Sakura, shaking it before opening it. Sakura didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands, so Aoi just took her hands. She leaned over, squinting to make sure she didn’t get paint all over the place. Sakura’s hands were rough and calloused, but they were warm and big and kind of elegant. Aoi couldn’t help but imagine walking around hand in hand with Sakura, her slender fingers threaded through Sakura’s, safe and comfy…

She almost forgot what she was doing, barely stopping herself before she painted all over Sakura’s cuticle. Aoi changed the way she held Sakura’s hand to better paint her thumb, then stopped to admire her work. “What do you think?” Aoi asked Sakura, finally letting herself look up at Sakura’s face.

It was a rare occasion that Sakura blushed, but she was doing it right now, sitting on the floor in Aoi’s dorm room, her hand in Aoi’s and her nails freshly made lavender. Aoi was just about speechless. “It’s beautiful.” Sakura smiled warmly. She pulled her hand away from Aoi to study her nails, and Aoi finally remembered to breathe.

“Now just think, next time you punch someone, the last thing he’s gonna see are your manicured nails.” Aoi laughed. It really would be a power move. 

“My opponent will probably think he hallucinated it.” Sakura chuckled too, wiggling her fingers and getting used to the sight of them like that.

“Wanna try painting mine?” Aoi asked, holding up the red she had picked out earlier.

“I’m afraid I would mess them up.” Sakura bit her lip nervously.

“Psh, don’t worry. If you get it on my skin, it will just wash off with soap and water,” Aoi promised her, and Sakura relented. She took the cap in her hands delicately, then reached out for Aoi’s hands. 

She was incredibly gentle as she painted, and Aoi was suddenly reminded of the messageboards she had read months ago, before coming to Hope’s Peak. People had called Sakura an ogre, warned students to avoid her, compared her to apes… But they didn’t know her one bit. Though Sakura was capable of beating up virtually everyone in the world, she would never hurt anyone out of the ring, out of the context of an arranged match. She was the sweetest thing, desperately trying to paint within the lines but getting sparkly red everywhere, and Aoi really wanted nothing else but to spend all day every day with her. 

Her last pinky nail was painted almost too soon, and Sakura let go of her hand. Sakura opened her mouth, probably to apologize for messing up, but Aoi stopped her before she could. “It’s perfect!” She gave Sakura a quick hug, careful not to scuff her nails. “Thank you.”

The way Sakura blushed again as she thanked her gave Aoi just enough hope that maybe Sakura liked her too. After a silence that was definitely more awkward than it was in the hallway earlier in the day, Sakura asked about what else was on the list. 

“Hmm…” Aoi took the paper in her hands, touching it only with the pads of her fingers. “We got… umm… hair braiding and a pillow fight! But… we should probably wait to do those so we don’t mess up our nails. Huh, maybe nails first was a bad idea!” Aoi rolled her eyes and laughed at herself. Of course she would forget that doing nails first was dumb.

“Any activities that do not involve our hands?” Sakura didn’t seem bothered. 

“We could… gossip or watch a chick flick?” Aoi offered.

“Gossip?” Sakura looked kind of confused, and Aoi was reminded that there wasn’t a mean bone in the Ultimate Martial Artist’s body. 

“We don’t have to do mean gossip. At my old school we would just talk about silly things people posted on Instagram or our crushes and stuff.” Shrugging, Aoi realized that with a class size so small, the gossip travelled so fast, which didn’t leave them much to talk about. When Mondo first asked out Taka, everyone knew by lunchtime the next day. 

“Do… do you have any crushes, Aoi?” Sakura asked suddenly, immediately looking mortified that she had even asked. 

Aoi didn’t even know how to respond. The answer was yes, of course, but this wasn’t how she imagined telling Sakura she liked her! Honestly, she hadn’t imagined this part at all. She liked to think about them holding hands and getting ice cream together and Sakura bench pressing her again, but she really glossed over this part. 

“Yeah…” Was all Aoi could get out of her mouth at first. Sakura just looked at her, half expectant, half nervous, melting Aoi into a big puddle with those eyes the color of opals. 

“You… don’t have to tell me who, if you are uncomfortable.” Sakura broke eye contact and guilt washed over Aoi. She… didn’t want Sakura to think she didn’t trust her, but she was also scared that she’d lose Sakura as a friend if she told her. Then again, she knew Sakura, and she knew she wasn’t one to judge. And maybe, just maybe, Sakura felt the same way?

“No, it’s not that! I just… didn’t know how to tell you that I like you, Sakura.” Aoi blurted out. Oh man… Aoi felt her cheeks turn bright red, some part of her expecting Sakura to laugh, but also knowing Sakura would never do such a thing.

“Aoi…” Sakura began, staring intently at the pink rug on the floor of Aoi’s dorm room, her hair falling in front of her eyes. “You have a crush on me?” She wrapped her arms around herself, as if she were feeling a little cold, and Aoi nodded slowly, still unsure what to expect. “And I was… self conscious about voicing my romantic feelings towards you…” She trailed off, finally peering up at Aoi through the long strands of her hair.

Aoi knew about Sakura’s first crush, a rival she admired greatly. But Sakura had been ashamed of her feelings, seeing them as a weakness. Aoi tried desperately to convince her that her feelings were not a weakness. Sakura’s compassion was her greatest strength, even though she was physically the strongest person on the planet. 

“I don’t know what to…” Sakura continued in Aoi’s dumbstruck silence, but seeing Sakura’s sudden vulnerability made Aoi’s heart do a backflip. 

“Sakura… May I kiss you?” Aoi slipped her hand back into Sakura’s, a warmth spreading from the point of contact all the way up Aoi’s arm until it reached her heart. Sakura rubbed her thumb in a small circle on the back of her hand ever so tenderly, then nodded, her eyes shiny with happy tears.

Aoi scooted herself closer to Sakura, shifting to her knees so she could reach the taller girl’s lips with hers, starting with a gentle peck, and then something more. She felt Sakura’s biceps tense around her as Sakura pulled her even closer, and she found herself practically sitting in Sakura’s lap as they kissed. She threaded her arms around Sakura’s shoulders, gently tracing the lines of Sakura’s muscles. 

Aoi felt incredibly lucky that she had found a friend like Sakura here at Hope’s Peak, and incredibly lucky to have fallen in love with her best friend, someone she could work out with, someone she could have stupid, girly sleepovers with, someone so kindhearted and gentle, someone so inspiring and badass. Sakura was everything she could ever want. She felt warm, safe, and alive in Sakura’s arms, and though she couldn’t hold Sakura the way Sakura could and lift her up over her head, Aoi knew that Sakura felt safe with her too.

Breaking apart for a moment, Sakura whispered, “Is this one of the items on your list?”

Aoi could only giggle and shake her head, then planted a kiss on Sakura’s nose, her heart bursting at the seams.


End file.
